Power-generating mechanism



Jan. 2, 1923.

E J. F THOMAS.

POWER GENERATING MECHANISM.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

FILED APR. 8, I922.

i wuowlioz 0185 75077245 2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

M... M11 mm W POWER GENERATING MECHANISM- lll'lql'lllllll IIITIIII Jan.2,1923;

Patented Jan. 2, lfiuil.

pains eerie.

JAMES F. THOMAS, OF IMONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

POWER-GENEBATING IaIECHANISM.

Application filed April 8, 1922. Serial No. 550,758.

'1 '0 all whom, it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JAMES F. THOMAS, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at 23 ()verdale Avenue, in the city and district ofhilontreal, in the Province of Quebec, in the Dominion of Canada, haveinvented .certain new and useful Improvements in Power-GeneratingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism particularly adapted and constructedfor compressing air, elevating or forcing water after the manner of aram for use in various capacities as a power generating medium, or forgeneral service or supply, and the primary object of the invention is toprovide an organization of cooperating instrumentalities and elements,and including an oscillating compressor, which is also equally wellusable as a water elevating or forcing means and in which a piston isloosely mounted to automatically and freely reciprocate in oppositedirections without restriction, and thereby dispense with pistonconnecting and actuating devices, relying solely for reciprocation ofthepiston on the gravitation thereof alternately from one end to the otherof the prime compressing cylinder or means to accomplish the desiredoperation relatively to charges of air or to elevate or force water thatmay be indrawn into the cylinder, or similarly actuate any other mediumto which the improved mechanism is adapted. A still further object ofthe invention is to simplify and economize in the general constructionand organisation of devices of this character and at the same timereinforce or strengthen the several parts to withstand wear and tear andthe pressures to which the parts may be subjected during the operationof the improved power generating mechanism.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangementof the several parts whichwill be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a mechanisn embodying the features of theinvention and including a storage reservoir or tank and showing theprime factor or cylinder in dotted lines in full rocked position in onedirection;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the prime factor orcylinder for compressing or elevating or forcing water;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the rocking cylindershowing a part of the rock shaft towhich the cylinder is connected;

Fig. 1- is a horizontal action taken on the line 55, Fig. 8; p

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 66, Fig. 5;

. Fig. 6 is a detail elevation, showing a portion of the shiftingmechanism which is automatically operated by the rocking cylinder; I

This application embodies features ofimprovement on the constructiondisclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 510,917, filed Oct. 27,1921, for improvements in power generating mechanism, patented September26, 1922, #1330316.

The numeral 5 designates a supporting pedestal or frame comprisingopposite members 6 having supporting feet 7, the said members beingreduced towards their upper ends to provide means for applying suitablebearings 8 thereto for a rock shaft 9 fixed to a prime operating factoror cylinder 10 having therein a freely movable and operativelyunrestrained piston 11 of suitable dimensions and weight. At oppositeends of the cylinder 10 are laterally projecting heads 12, one of whichis shown by'Fig. 5, these heads being for the attachment of dischargeand intake pipes or conduits i l and 13. The discharge pipe or conduit.14 has a central discharge outlet 15 which will be more fullyhereinafter explained with relation to its connection with a storagemeans or tank located in any suitable position relatively to the saidprime .factor or cylinder 10. The intake pipe or conduit 13 at each endof the cylinder, or in connection with each of the heads 12 is adaptedto be open forthe full intake of air or run to a source of supply ofwater. The discharge and intake pipes Li and 13 are connected with bothends of the mechanism, or with the two heads 12 of the prime factor orcylinder 10, to adapt the mechanism for reversal of operationcroscillation in a manner which will be more fully explained, and whileair and water may be referred to as the mediums preferably acted upon bythe improved mechanism in the. subsequent description, it will beunderstood that the improved mechanism is intended to be used with anyother mediums or for any specific service to which it may be acapted.Each of the heads 12, as clearly shown by if igs. 3, and 6, has looselymount ed valves 16 and 17 disposed in operative alinement with theconnected terminals of the discharge and intake pipes or conduits 1d and13 and operating alternately in reverse directions, or, when the va ve16 is open the valve 17 will be closed, and vice versa. Each of theheads 12 is formed with interior chambers 18 and 18 and within thechamber 18 is a valve seat 19 of suitable structure for the valve 16,the valve 17 also having a seat 20 in alinement with the connectedterminal of the discharpe pipe or con duit 14:. The valves 16 and 17 aremounted to operate in guides 21 located in rear extensions of thechambers 18 and 18 and these valves also have extensions and 23 whichare located in the centers of he connected terminals of the pipes 13 and14. The valves 16 and 17 are free to move, or are un restricted bysprings or other obstructing devices and operate solely through theaction thereon of the piston 11 in its reverse movements through thecylinder 10, so that the pressure created by the movement of the saidpiston towards the valve 17 will open the latter and close the valve 16,and conversely, when the piston moves in the opposite direction it willset up a drawing action on the valve 16 and also on the valve 17,opening the former valve and closingthe lat ter valve. The connectedterminal of the discharge pipe 13 relatively to each head 12 isseparated from the connected terminal of the intake pipe 1-1 to the headby an intermediate partition 24, and it is proposed to supply theinterior of each head with a filling or wall of suitable plasticmaterial, as at 25, and this plastic structure will be carried outrelatively to the valve seats, so that the valves operated upon orcontacting or engag ing with the said plastic fillings or walls willform their own seats and maintain tight joints relatively thereto. Theinterior of the cylinder 10 atthe top, sides and bottom is likewiseprovided with walls 26 27 and 28 of suitable plastic material, and thebase of the cylinder consists of a metal plate 29 extending full lengththereof and applied a gainst the lower plastic wall 28. The metal baseplate 29 in the present in proved struc ture is provided with upwardlyprojecting ribs 80 extendinglongitudinally thereof on opposite sides ofthe center, these ribs projecting through the lower plastic wall andhaving their reduced extremities 31 ext-- posed within the interior ofthe cylinder 10. The cylinder 10 also has metal straps 32 extendingthereacross at intervals and engaging these straps, and extendingdownwardly through the side plastic walls 27 are tie bolts or rods 33which are suitably nutted and serve as reinforcing means, the top straps32 serving to brace and strengthen the top wall 26. It is proposed tointroduce in the plastic walls 26, 27 and 28 suitable reinforcing meansor devices and also to otherwise reinforce or brace these walls as maybe found necessary to maintain the said walls in strong and durableshape. The piston 11 is disposed for operation in the cylinder 10 and isfree for automatic reciprocation towards opposite ends of the cylinderwhen the latter is oscillated in reverse directions. This piston 11 hasa lower or bottom plate 34: formed with longitudinal depending ribs 35having grooves 36 therein, one in each, to receive the upper reducededges of the ribs 30, the grooved ribs 35 depending a short distanceinto the bottom plastic wall 28 of 1 the cylinder 10. The piston 11 alsohas a bottom frame plate 37 extendinglongitudinally thereof and asimilar top plate 38 connected by side angle plates 39 formed with lowerand upper inwardly projecting angular flan es l0 and 11, the flanges 10having the opposite side edge portions or" the plates 37 resting;thereon and this plate secured by suitable fastenings 42 extendingtherethrough and through the said lower flanges 4L0 into the bottomplate 34 of the piston. The upper flanges l1 are secured against thelower side of the top plate 38 by suitable fastenings 43 extendingthrough the said flanges a l into the top plate, as clearly shown byFig. i. The top plate 38 is slightly wider than the bottom plate 37, theopposite side edges of the top plate being flush with the outer surfaceof the side angle plates 39. Applied around the sides and bottom of theframework of the piston as just explained is a plastic covering orsheathing e l, the ribs 35 projecting below the lower portion of thissheathing for free engagement with the guide ribs 31. ["he opposite endsof the piton 11 have removable head plates 45 of metal and heldconnected to the plates 3% and 35 by suitable removable fastenings, asat 46, shown by Fig. 3, the upper edges of the said plates 45projecting; above the upper surface of the top plate 38 to closelyengage the top plastic wall 26 of the cylinder 10. In the event of wearand settling of the piston 11 within the chamber of the cylinder 10, anyleaking spaces that may be formed between the upper edges of the plates45 and the top wall 26 of the cylinder may be closed to make a tightslide lit of the piston by ap plying plastic material to the upper outersides of the plates -15 and along portions of the upper surface of theplate 38 adjacent to the plates 45. The interior of the piston is freefor the introduction of weight devices by removing either one of theheads 4-5, said weight devices being adapted when used to test thebalancing effect of the piston 11, or to increase the weight of the sameas the operation of the improved device may require. These weightdevicesmay be of any suitable the inner surfaces of the wallsof thecylinder' willensue. It 1s proposed at any time term, but are preferablyplates, as at t'Wand indicatedby dotted lines in Fig. 3. Any number oftheseplates maybe usedand they may be constructed of sultable metal.lnthe preliminary preparation or the cylinder 10 and while theplasticwalls. 26,27 and 28 are around the top, sides andvbottom of the pis tonWlllplVGllt leakage of air or water be tween the piston and the walls ofthe cylin-v der. This manner ol properly shaping and producing acloselit between the sides 01 the piston 11 and the inner surfaces ofthe walls of the cylinderslO through the preliminary sliding, actuationofthe piston 11 will economize in the structure of the cylinder 10, oravoid expensive crossing operations and measurements, and furthermore, amore per fectconforinity of the piston relatively to found necessary andafter the sheathing 14: of the pistonll has worn considerably, toreplace the said sheathing as may be found necessary to maintain an airand water tight fitting between the piston and the walls of thecylinder; Both the cylinder and the piston are preferably square incrosssection, so

as to avoid the least displacement ofthe cylf p I extends upwardly overa sprocket wheel 60 loose on a drive shaft 61, the sprocket inder in alateral direction, and the reduced ribs 30 and grooved ribs servevtohold the piston true in its oscillation and reduce the friction to aminimum and at the same time equalize thewear on the sheathing in thepiston and ljllG'lIlllGISllllitlCQS oi the walls of the cylinder.

The heads 12 are secured to the, ends of the cylinder, through the,mediuinofouter' angle plates or ends l? constituting the en-' closuresof the heads and angle plates &8.

secured to the ends of the cylindennutted draw bolts orrods 4:9,.engaging the angle I plates 47 and 48, as shown by jl ig. 3, to set upatight fitting of the headslQwith relation to the cylinder ends;The'shait 9 in the present improveinent'is also secured to he bottom ofthe cylinder in a more eilective manner than inthe structure disclosedby my pending application aforesaid, and as shown by Fig. 4-, the meansfor setting up this improved shaft securing association withthe'cylinder consists of I-be'ams or '=ehan11els "50 having the: upperinner porg tions otthe flanges thereof secured to the bottom plates 29by meanslot tastenings 51, and-the lower inner flanges of the said beamsor channels similarly securedby fastenings 52 tor-the shaftlt); hidecover plates are'applied over the outer flanges ot the l beams orchannels 50 and have openings Eiel therein to snugly iit overthe shalt-9, filling plates being introduced in the outer channels ofthe-bean1s'50 as brace or reintorcingmeans, and tie sa d slde coverplates 53 together with the opposite I-beams and plates 55 are securedby transversely extending nutted draw rods 56. By this ineansthe shaft 9is firmly secured to the bottom; oi the cylinder 10, and as the sidecover plates extend a considerable distance on: opposite sides oi theshart 9, the strain on the cylinder incident to the operation of the,latter and the shaft is d stributed over, a

- larger area, particularly in viewof the fact v w J: J c that thebeams00 extend lull length or the cylinder: and also over the heads 12 andprovide a stable foundation or base structure tor the cylinder as awhole.

, Various mechanisms for operating the cylinder 10 might be adopted foractuating the said cylinder regularly in an oscillating mannerto'eil'ect agravitation of the pi ton 11 tOWMClSOPPOSltB ends olthecylinder in alternation, but one preferred form oi operating mechanismconsists of an endless chain belt 57 attached to arms 58 projectingoutwardly from the opposite extremities of the lower portion of thecylinder 10, or from the base frame-construction for thecylinder abovespecified. The endless belt, 57 passes downwardly over a lower idlersprocket 59v at the center of; the lowe Jory-i tion of the pedestal. 5,as shown by Fig.7,1, and from thearms 58 the Said. chain belt wheel 60having a clutch hub 62 integral therewith or attached'thereto. On theshaft the shaft 61 adjacent to the band pulley 63is a bevel gear 65 inalinement with an opposing bevel gear adjacent to or forrm.

ing part of the sprocket wheel 60. The gear 65 is loose on the shaft61,-and between the two gears 65 and-66 is a transmission bevel, gear-67 suitably supported to operatebetweei'i'the two gears'efi and 66. Thegear 65 has a clutch hub termed with or attached thereto, and. betweenthe two hops 62 and '68 a clutch sleeve 69 is splined to and slidableonthe shaft 61, andwhereby. the motion ot'this shaft may be transmitted toeither the gear 66 or the gear 65, the re versal of movement of the maindriving sprocketwheel 60 and the gear 66 being accomplished through theinterposed gear 67.

chain belt 57 bya yoke Z0 having a depending'arrn '71 with a lower fork72 withsuit clutch sleeve 69 rill be shifted through the forkedextremity or end of the arm 71 depending from the yoke 70, to change thedirection of movement by bringing diiierent gearing into play and tocause'th'e cylinder and piston to be thrown over from the dottedposition shown'in Fig. 1 to the r verseposition, or so that the end orextremity of th cylinder that is uppermost as shown in Fig. 1 will belowermost, and this oscillation continues during the actuation of thechain belt 54 through the gearing and mechanism explained, and as aconsequence, the cylinder will he regularly operated and the pistonautomatically shifted in alternation from one end of the cylinder to theother. As in my aforesaid application, the improved cylinder and pistonwill be arranged to have a double action, or so that the intake anddischarge is eil'ected in opposite extremities in an automatic andpositive manner. It will be understood that the chain belt 57 will havesufficient slaclr to render it effective in operation of the cylinderand pistonand also to accommodate it to varying positions of the latterduring the rocking movement or oscillation thereor". i

The discharge charge conduit 14, or which receives as a unit thedischarges fronrthe opposite ex tremities of the oscillating cylinder 10through the action of the piston 11;. has coupling attached thereto andhaving a flexible pipe 75 associated therewith and 0t any suitablelength and in turn connected to a coupling 76 attached to the bottom oia reservoir 77 located in any suitable position relatively to theoscillating shaft 9, this reservoir 77 being shown in Fig. 1 simply as amatter of convenience in illustration in" side elevation above theshaft9. This reservoir 7?. however, may he locatedinotlier positions bestadapted to serve its function and the pipe T5 or any of the connectionsbetween the dischai outlet and the bottomoi? the reservoir, may besul'liciently flexible to conn iensate :tor the oscillation oi thecylinder 10. Furthermore, the reservoir 77 is shown in upright position,but this particular position is not essential to the n'actical operationof the reservoir '77 as a storage means, as it might be tilted slightlyat an angle particularly towards the right.

The air under pressure passing through the discharge outlet 15,connections 7% and 76 and pipe 75 enters the lower portion of thereservoir or storage tank 77, or if water he outlet from. the dis forcedul'iwardl y through the same parts by action oi? the cylinder l0 andpiston 11, the water will he likewise held in the lower part of thereservoir. From the reservoir or tank 77 the stored air under pressurewill be liberated for any practical service desired. and likewise, waterthat may be delivered into the reservoir '77 maybe similarly distributed or discharged from the said reservoir or tank 77 for operationof other mechaand com ress the indrawn charges and force the lateroutwardly through the discharge pipe l-l into the connections '74:, 75and 76' and finally into the reservoir or tank 77. The same operationensues in elevating and forcing water into a similar reservoir or tank,and; "from the tanlr, or reservoir the water may be supplied to anymechanism desired.

All of the parts of the improved apparatus have been constructed forstrength and durabi 'ty, and it is proposed to modify the propo ons anddimensions of the several parts to adapt the improvements to variousbottom-0t the piston having a metal plate withdepending grooved ribs toreceive the upper reduced portions of the runner ribs, the piston beinghollow and comprising SlClQ angle plates and top and, bottom platessecured to the angle plates, a rock shaft tor the cylinder, and meansinter iosed between uses without departing from the nature or the bottomplate of the cylinder and the rock I shaft tor strongly securing thesaid parts and distributing "strain iiiciilcnt to the rocking motion oithe cylinder tully over the bottom of the latter;

2. In a mechanism of the class specified. a roekingcylinder havingplastic walls, a piston mounted to loosely gravitate within the cylinderof hollow form and cou'iprising a skeleton metal frame with a plasticcovering over the sides and bottom thereof, end metal plates applied tothe piston. and extending above the top plate of the latter to engagethe top wall of the cylinder and also depend mamas ing and movable overa portion oi the bottom wall or said cylinder, the said end platesoperating to shape the cylinder chamber, a rock shaft, and meansconnecting the rock halt to the bottom of the cylinder;

3. In mechanism of the class specified, a rocking cylinder havingplastic walls and intake and discharge connections, a hollow pistonmounted to ireely. slide in the cylinder and provided with plastic sideand bottom walls, a rock shaft for operating the cylinder, andconnecting means between the rock shaft and bottom of: the cylinder andconsisting of Lbeams secured to the shaft and bottom of the cylinder,outside cover plates .v

with openings therein to receive the shaft, reinforcing filling platesbetween the outside cover plates and the said beams, and i d aw rodsextending transversely through JAMES 'F. THOMAS.

